Nanotechnology News

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has announced a coordinated strategy for researching how nanotechnology affects both the environment and human health. The purpose of the effort is to understand not just the risks involved but also the potential for nanomaterials to remediate toxic waste in the environment. The strategy includes efforts to identify sources, track their transport, and develop approaches to prevent or manage risk. The goal is to understand what materials and nanoscale properties are cause for concern, whether such materials are likely to accumulate in sufficient concentrations to be problematic, and, most important of all, what to do if any of those problems arise.

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Baytubes® multi-walled carbon nanotubes are typically used as additives to a polymer matrix or in metal systems, imparting improved mechanical strength and electrical conductivity. They are also used in epoxy, thermoplastic, and coating systems. Applications include sports equipment; construction and alternative energy. Baytubes are EPA-approved and TSCA-listed.

A carbon nanotube (CNT) sliding transversely experiences double the frictional force of one sliding axially, say researchers. The team dragged the tip of an atomic force microscope cantilever along multiwalled CNTs grown on a substrate to assess the effect. The phenomenon could be leveraged to position CNTs or to sort them by chirality.

Growing a layer of gold on the tips of cadmium selenide nanorods increases their conductance by six orders of magnitude, say Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory scientists. Deposited directly from solution, the gold contacts reduce the conduction interface barrier by 75% compared to bare rods. The group credits the growth method with the enhanced performance.

Combining DNA and graphene could yield highly precise biosensors. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory researchers tagged single-stranded DNA with fluorescent markers that brightened when the structure bonded with a complementary strand. Applications could include cancer diagnostics or biohazard detection. Meanwhile, a different group at the lab improved the performance of lithium-ion batteries by adding graphene to the electrodes.

Most synthesis techniques for making carbon nanotubes (CNTs) produce mixtures of CNT types rather than the pure single-walled CNTs required by many applications. Now, Case Western Reserve University researchers have shown that adjusting the composition of the catalysts used in the manufacturing process can control the types of nanotubes produced. The group used a gas-phase synthesis with atmospheric-pressure microplasma to fabricate nearly pure samples.

Cheap Tubes' Functionalized SWNTs and MWNTs are available with Hydroxyl (OH) or Carboxyl (COOH) functional groups bonded to the ends and sidewalls of the CNTs. Please note — OH SWNTs and OH MWNTs have primarily OH functional groups whereas the COOH SWNTs and COOH MWNTs have mostly COOH groups with a small concentration of OH.

The Microterminal (MT-100A) provides convenient keypad entry and LCD display for manual control of delay for the Programmable Delay Line PDL-100A, CPDL-100A, and HPDL-100A Series models. The MT-100A allows for convenient operation of the PDL instrument located side-by-side on a work bench.

An artificial pore can transmit nanoscale materials through a membrane, say University of Cincinnati engineers. The pore consists of a phi29 bacteriophage modified to penetrate lipid proteins. The 3.6- to 6-nm-wide channel in the center of the bacteriophage is wide enough to admit drugs and other therapeutic materials, providing a means to directly target infected cells.

Arrays of nanostructured electrodes yield high-dynamic range sensors, say University of Toronto researchers. The group fabricated highly branched electrodes. When they immobilized nucleic acid probes on the structures, the resultant sensor detected nucleic acids with triple the dynamic range of conventional devices. The technology shows potential for early cancer detection and staging.

A new nanoscale length standard from the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) supplies X-ray diffraction researchers with a highly accurate calibration standard. The 25 mm² multilayer silicon chip achieves sub-femtometer accuracy, and is traceable to the standard SI length unit.

Adjusting the ratio of precursor materials controls whether nickel phosphide nanoparticles are hollow or solid, North Carolina State University engineers have shown. The group also used synthesis temperature to determine whether the particles were amorphous or crystalline. They believe these techniques can be extended to nanoparticles of other materials.

The M&P Lab can be a valuable partner for your research and development efforts by serving as an in-house laboratory for testing and evaluation of new materials and products. The complete range of test capabilities available means that a full complement of testing can be performed under one roof.

Rotary encoders serve as measuring sensors for rotary motion, and for linear motion when used in conjunction with mechanical measuring standards such as leadscrews. Areas of application include:

• Electrical drives
• Machine tools
• Printing presses

From Automation and Metrology, Inc.

American workers skipped an average of three vacation days each last year, says travel site Expedia. Now, new regulations let companies put the value of unused vacation or sick days into your 401(k) or profit-sharing plan. It's worth checking to see if your company is aware of this new policy. Although some of the shine has worn off the 401(k) in the past year, it's still one of the best long-term retirement vehicles out there.

Fabric impregnated with nanoparticles and nanostructures could allow clothing to do everything from regulate heat to monitor vital signs, or so futurists speculate. When used in furnishings, the materials could allow rooms to alter their color, odor, and even texture. Perhaps the wildest possibility is a dress formed of bacterio-cellulose. Talk about far out fashion.

Can We Stop Climate Change?

As the U.S. Congress works on a series of climate bills, the debate continues as to which elements of climate change are natural and which are manmade, and what, if anything, we can do about it. Regardless of opinion, will reduction of greenhouse gas provide other benefits to our environment?